In KSP, you must build a space-worthy craft, capable of flying its crew out into space, without killing them. At your disposal is a collection of parts, which must be assembled to create a functional ship. Each part has its own function and will affect the way a ship flies (or doesn't). So strap yourself in, and get ready to try some Rocket Science!

Main Features:

The Vehicle Assembly Building and the Space Plane Hangar allows players to build spacecraft out of any imaginable combination of parts.

KSP is still under development, so many things are not yet as they should be. We are working hard to be constantly improving the game however, and it will be regularly updated with bug fixes and new content, so make sure to check back for new versions. We are also always listening to feedback from the players, and we welcome ideas and suggestions.

Currently the game is being built as an open sandbox. There are no objectives yet. You're free to build anything you can think of, and fly it wherever you want, even into orbit.

The demo version is free to download and play, and will remain so forever. During development, the game is available for purchase at a discounted price, which we will gradually increase up to its final retail price as the game nears completion. So by ordering early, you get the game for a lot less, and you'll get all future updates for free.

Have Fun! — The KSP Team

gliderpilotuk

Told my 13 year old about this last night and the response was "Already got it and it's very realistic". That's a vote of confidence, given the zillion other games he has!

garymilgrom

Any plans for a Mac version?

RobertDraper

There is a Mac version, it works on all major operating systems including Linux

Gonzo

Stupid game. Complete time sucker. Downloaded and installed it yesterday after work. Realized at 10PM that hadn't had dinner yet. Got something to eat and played with it some more. Finally had to go to bed about 1AM. (Finished with a 2-stage, liquid fuel, 800,000M, with 2 EVA's.)

Seriously though, great fun and as you can tell, very addictive. All I have at this point is the demo version, but If I had anything bad to say it would be that it's slow. And that may be a combination of it being the demo version and my older MacBook.

RobertDraper

The demo is an older version and is slower, speed issues have been fixed in the current paid version, along with many new features like rovers and reentry effects

Robert Pearlman

Squad release

Kerbal Space Program To Add NASA Asteroid Redirect Mission to Game

The Planet Kerbin has a new partner in the exploration of its solar system. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has joined forces with Kerbal Space Program to create Kerbal Space Program: Asteroid Redirect Mission, a special update that adds realistic NASA rocket parts and missions to the award-winning indie space agency sim game.

The mission shares the same name as the three-part mission which started in 2013 and is currently projected to be completed in 2022 with a manned mission onto an orbiting asteroid beyond the Moon. Kerbal Space Program and NASA will share the stage at SXSW Gaming on Saturday at 12:30 in the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Tex. The panel will offer the first look at the in-game mission as well as discuss the process of taking a real mission that is still highly conceptual and assembling it in Kerbal Space Program.

"Kerbal Space Program is about giving gamers the chance to dream big, even if they're not astrophysicists. This relationship with NASA, the very beacon of big dreams and imagination, is going to give players a real opportunity to learn about the universe we're living in," Kerbal Space Program lead developer Felipe Falanghe said. "The Asteroid Redirect Mission is going to be one of the rewarding and challenging accomplishments in all of gaming. We can't wait to see our current and future players take on this mission and perhaps, teach NASA a few tricks along the way."

The mission mirrors NASA's real operation in many ways. Namely, players will tackle the same three steps as NASA:

Identify: Detect, target, distinguish and select the asteroids that you want to move

Redirect: Build a rocket ship and set course to intercept the moving asteroid, then position your ship to redirect the asteroid's trajectory

Research: Send your Kerbals on EVA (extravehicular activity) around the asteroids to conduct experiments on the object and gather valuable scientific data as it (and you) hurtle through deep space

"The collaboration with Kerbal Space Program can help drive interest by future explorers in next-generation technology development and deep space exploration, said Bob Jacobs, deputy associate administrator for Communications at NASA. "Having an element of the experience based in the reality of NASA's exploration initiatives empower players to manage their own space program while getting valuable insight into the reality of studying asteroids as a next step in getting to Mars."

Nearly a dozen new parts, including the game's biggest fuel tanks, will help players tackle what is the most ambitious NASA mission to date. Another new part is the robotic grappling device, which players will use to snare the rock and redirect it into orbit around the Mun, Kerbin or other planets. This new device can also grab things other than asteroids, making it one of the most versatile parts added to the game. These new parts will not only help the Asteroid Redirect Mission but will also offer both new and old players the chance to experiment more in the game's open sandbox mode.

Peter downunder

My 19 year old son bought this on special for $6 last week. He had never shown much interest in this sort of thing before, but he had heard a positive review on Rooster Teeth.

As Gonzo says, it's more addictive than some chemical substances out there. We found it very frustrating, but totally captivating.

Our first crash on the moon was enthralling. Our first successful orbit of the moon was even better. Now if we can just get our astronaut home again.

If anyone has a few hours to kill, I highly recommend it.

hotdog

Last time I saw something about this game/sim, it was a bit cartoony. Have they added any realistic space hardware?

Peter downunder

The building of the boosters and spacecraft/probes is probably a fun thing, but if you get the loads and structures wrong, you won't make it to orbit.

So building the hardware is fun, and yes, the astronauts are cartoons, but what has impressed me is its ability to show how difficult and subtle orbital mechanics are. My son is 19 and doesn't have a science background but loves finding out how things work. He flew one of my creations (an intuitive engineer, I like to think) into orbit and planned to rendezvous with his own orbital probe. Well, a couple of hours later he made the docking. Now I know why they clap and cheer in mission control. The mission time for the rendezvous was something like 3 days! After sorting out orbital inclinations and apogees and the like...

We didn't get to tell Mr Kraft that M=1, that's for sure. I now know what Mike Collins was talking about with Gemini 10. Very, very addictive. And we needed a lot of tuition on YouTube from guys who have really got into the detail of the program.

And if it's still on special, you really can't go wrong. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.